The subject matter of the present application relates to thermal energy barriers for buildings, a rail component thereof, and a method for forming an insulating air cavity.
A typical way to try to create an insulating air cavity for instance between a pair of overhead joists is to loosely place a layer of aluminum foil on top of fiberglass and push the fiberglass with aluminum foil loosely lying on top into the joist bay but not all the way in so as to try to leave a small air space, with the aluminum foil facing the floor board so that radiant heat from the floor into the cavity reflects back off the aluminum foil toward the floor board rather than toward the basement. The fiberglass insulation resists additional heat loss through convection and conduction toward the basement.
A problem with this method of installation of a radiant reflective barrier is that it is not easy to judge the proper amount of insertion of the insulation so as to maintain the at least three-quarters to one inch of air space needed to create a proper air cavity for a dead air space between the floor and the reflective foil lying on top of the fiberglass batting below. A similar problem exists between studs in forming an air cavity in the same way for a similar purpose for a wall or ceiling or for forming a cavity between roof joists and the roof in an attic.
Another problem is that, over time, dust can settle on the top of the aluminum foil or other reflective surface on top of the fiberglass so that the reflectivity is adversely affected.
Yet another problem is that the standard distance between support members or joists is not always consistent, even within the same building. While that may be easier to deal with when using a loosely placed layer of aluminum foil on top of fiberglass pushed into the cavity, it is a more difficult problem to address when trying to standardize a pre-manufactured thermal barrier made for instance of synthetic foam such as shown in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2001/00229487.